PM Anthony Albanese visited Ahmed al Ahmed in hospital, praising his bravery after he was shot while disarming a gunman during the Bondi Beach attack.
SYDNEY: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Bondi Beach shooting hero Ahmed al Ahmed in hospital on Tuesday.
Albanese lauded Ahmed’s efforts to help stop the nation’s deadliest gun attack in decades.
A father and son killed 15 people at the beach on Sunday, targeting a Jewish festival marking the start of Hanukkah.
Footage showed the fruit seller ducking between parked cars before wrestling a gun from an assailant.
“He was trying to get a cup of coffee and found himself at a moment where people were being shot in front of him,” Albanese said after the bedside visit.
“He decided to take action and his bravery is an inspiration for all Australians.”
Ahmed was shot several times in the shoulder during the tussle and will undergo further surgery on Wednesday.
“At a moment where we have seen evil perpetrated, he shines out as an example of the strength of humanity,” the prime minister added.
Bedbound and with tubes in his nose, Ahmed thanked wellwishers in a social media video on Tuesday.
“I appreciate the efforts of everyone,” he said in Arabic, according to a translation by TRT World.
“May Allah reward you and grant you wellbeing. God willing, we will return to you with joy.”
The father-of-two came to Australia from Syria almost 10 years ago.
His mother told the ABC she was distraught upon learning her son had been shot.
“He saw they were dying, and people were losing their lives, and when that guy ran out of ammo, he took it from him, but he was hit,” she said.
There has been a global outpouring of support, including from US President Donald Trump who praised his courage.
An online fundraiser has received more than AUD 1.9 million (USD 1.2 million) in donations for Ahmed’s medical fees. – AFP
